4-2-5 In the NFL

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The 4-2-5 and 3-3-5, very popular defenses in high school these days, are mostly a creative response to the proliferation of the spread in high school and colleges.

As the pass-oriented spread begins to take in the NFL, it will eventually require a defensive response, and teams will need to start drafting more versatile "super safeties", and we'll start to see 3 safety defenses in the NFL. Right now, teams use it in packages (such as the "Cobra" used by Greg Blache and Perry Fewell). But that's still five years or so away for significant structural defensive changes. The nickel personnel package is still sufficient for stopping most teams. But, already, defensive backs are at an all time high value in pro football.